Prep Schools: America’s Future or America’s Past?
In modern education today, preparatory schools are ineffective because of unhealthy pressure on students, unavailability to the public and the rise of public education. In the novel, Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, the main protagonist Holden Caulfield is expelled from three prep schools. He experiences difficulty in academics, harassment from other students, and is unable to truly fit in socially. This may leave some to think, are prep schools truly effective? Would Holden have benefitted more in a public school environment?
Before the availability of public education in America was made, there was only private education. In the 19th century a structured, well regulated network of public …show more content…
It’s the nature of most parents to want the best educational opportunities for their children, but only upper class and wealthy families can afford to send their children to prep schools. “My father’s quite wealthy, though. I don’t know how much he makes- he’s never discussed that stuff with me- but I imagine quite a lot. He’s a corporation lawyer. Those boys really haul it in” (Salinger, 119). Throughout the novel, Holden proves to be an indolent student, yet because of his father’s income he always had access to the best quality education, even when he was expelled multiple times. This would be impossible for low income families who cannot afford the large price tag prep schools come with. “Day schools can run from $5,000 to more than $30,000 in larger centres. [Prep] school carries a $30,000 to $60,000 price tag, with plenty of variation” (CITATION, Southerst). In addition to the already high tuition, there are many hidden costs such as: uniforms, technology, travel, and expensive social events. Many families with lower incomes end up needing financial assistance to meet the expensive demands of prep school tuition. In a study from the University of Warwick in Coventry, England the board of economics followed 258 students with low incomes and gave them free tuition to the very distinguished “internats d’excellence” in Paris. Ironically, these tuition winning students overtime had no observable test score gains. (CITATION, sparks). This study shows that money cannot buy knowledge, and that oftentimes prep schools are seen as more of a status symbol than actual higher quality
In modern education today, preparatory schools are ineffective because of unhealthy pressure on students, unavailability to the public and the rise of public education. In the novel, Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, the main protagonist Holden Caulfield is expelled from three prep schools. He experiences difficulty in academics, harassment from other students, and is unable to truly fit in socially. This may leave some to think, are prep schools truly effective? Would Holden have benefitted more in a public school environment?
Before the availability of public education in America was made, there was only private education. In the 19th century a structured, well regulated network of public …show more content…
It’s the nature of most parents to want the best educational opportunities for their children, but only upper class and wealthy families can afford to send their children to prep schools. “My father’s quite wealthy, though. I don’t know how much he makes- he’s never discussed that stuff with me- but I imagine quite a lot. He’s a corporation lawyer. Those boys really haul it in” (Salinger, 119). Throughout the novel, Holden proves to be an indolent student, yet because of his father’s income he always had access to the best quality education, even when he was expelled multiple times. This would be impossible for low income families who cannot afford the large price tag prep schools come with. “Day schools can run from $5,000 to more than $30,000 in larger centres. [Prep] school carries a $30,000 to $60,000 price tag, with plenty of variation” (CITATION, Southerst). In addition to the already high tuition, there are many hidden costs such as: uniforms, technology, travel, and expensive social events. Many families with lower incomes end up needing financial assistance to meet the expensive demands of prep school tuition. In a study from the University of Warwick in Coventry, England the board of economics followed 258 students with low incomes and gave them free tuition to the very distinguished “internats d’excellence” in Paris. Ironically, these tuition winning students overtime had no observable test score gains. (CITATION, sparks). This study shows that money cannot buy knowledge, and that oftentimes prep schools are seen as more of a status symbol than actual higher quality